Benign Breast Disorders

The term benign breast disease encompasses a heterogeneous group of breast lesions. These can be classified as non-proliferative, proliferative, and atypical hyperplasia. Some of these confer an increased lifetime risk of breast cancer and warrant further discussion of enhanced screening and awareness. This article reviews common benign breast problems as they may present to the clinician. A discussion of common breast symptoms is followed by a review of benign breast processes found incidentally on imaging and biopsies.